Shipping documents device and method

ABSTRACT

A tape product for use in attaching shipping documents (such as packing slips, sales slips, invoices, letters) or the like to the outside of various containers with the tape being transparent and including a sticky adhesive material on the back side thereof with one or more separate coated layers also on the back side of the tape, said coated layers comprising in one embodiment a first layer of backward printed letters which are readable when the tape is in position on a container and a second layer comprised of a contrasting background color which facilitates the reading of the letters when the tape is in position on the container, in another embodiment a single layer of transparent coating material, and in other embodiments opaque and transparent layers used in various combinations with one another and in differing areas and number of layers, such layers rendering a portion of the adhesive material nonsticky so that documents may be retained without tearing or sticking to the tape product; and, the method of preparing such tape products.

O United States Patent 1191 1111 3,874,893 Cherrin Apr. 1, 1975 [54]SHIPPING DOCUMENTS DEVICE AND 3,551,187 12/1970 Chong 117/76 MET O3,708,320 l/l973 Hurst et a1. ll7/3.3

[75] Inventor: Phil Cherrin, Huntington Woods, FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS Mich. 1,099,234 l/l968 United Kingdom 117/45 [73]Assignees: Abe Cherrin; Lem Cherrin, both of Southfield Mich a partinterest to Przmary Examiner-Michael R. Lusrgnan each Attorney, Agent,or Firm-Harness, Dickey & Pierce [22] F1led. Oct. 3, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT[21] Appl' 294627 A tape product for use in attaching shipping docu- R lt d [1,5, A li ti D t ments (such as packing slips, sales slips,invoices, let- [63] continuatiomimpan of Ser 99213 17 ters) or the liketo the outside of various containers 1970, abandoned. with the tapebeing transparent and including a sticky adhesive material on the backside thereof with one or 52 u.s.c1 117/15, 40/2, 117/38, more Separateeeated layers also on the beek Side of 7 4 7 5 7 7 A 117/122 the tape,said coated layers comprising in one embodi- 51 1111.01 D2lh 1/10 meet afirst layer of backward Primed letters which [58] Field 61 Search 40/2,10, 125 A, 135; are readable when the tape is in Position on a 7 2 5 22PF 7 A 38, 7 R, 5 4 tainer and a second layer comprised of a contrastingbackground color which facilitates the reading of the 5 References Citedletters when the tape is in position on the container, in UNITED STATESPATENTS another embodiment a single layer of transparent coatingmaterial, and in other embodiments opaque g f g 1 3 and transparentlayers used in various combinations g H962 gg 7/44 with one another andin differing areas and number of 3:l25:460 3/1964 Rose I: 117 122 xlayers Such layers rendermg a Porno of the adhesve 3,159,930 12/1964Allen et a1. 40 2 material nonstick) that documents may be retained3,386,846 6/1968 1.666s 117/11 Without tearing of Sticking to the p Pnd, 3,450,044 6/1969 Dixon 101/170 the method of preparing such tapeproducts. 3,462,338 8/1969 Stein 117/45 X 3,516,842 6/1970 Klinker etal. 117/3.4 13 Clam, 13 Drawlng Flgures SHEET 1 2 fin? PATENTEDAPR 1I915 SHEET 2 BF 2 g INVOICE ENCLOSED IIll SHIPPING DOCUMENTS DEVICE ANDMETHOD CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is acontinuation-in-part of applicants copending application Ser. No.99,213, now abandoned filed Dec. 17, 1970 entitled Shipping DocumentsDevice and Method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention broadly relates to a noveltape product and its method of preparation.

The state of the patented art relating to this invention developed bythe Patent Office with respect to the parent application and byapplicant in a preliminary search is as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. Goodsellet al 1,071,226, Wright et al 1,679,699, Humphner 1,922,767, Bronfman2,302,179, Emmey et al 2,439,082, Leander 2,603,899, Brewster 2,648,924,Walsh 2,671,678, Avery 2,783,172, Tobey 2,975,091, Allen et 313,159,930, Howard 2,307,406, Birch 2,598,755, Harris 2,767,495, Sproull2,996,177, Vosbikian 3,370,365, Lones 3,386,846, Sandford 3,327,416,British patent 1,099,234, German patent 1,289,515.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel improved tape productand its method of preparation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new, improvedtape product for fastening shipping documents and the like to the sidesof various shipping containers in an easy manner. A related objectresides in the provision of perforations at intervals along the tape sothat short segments (individual units) of the tape product can bereadily separated and used.

Another object of this invention concerns the provision of an improvedadhesive device for securing documents to a container or the like whichdoes not suffer the disadvantage of fully enclosed film envelope deviceswhich trap air when they are sealed and thus project from the side ofthe container where they are subject to damage and accidental removal.

Another object resides in the provision of an improved tape producthaving on one side one portion which is tacky and a second portion whichis substantially nontacky and a method of fabrication thereof which doesnot require the use of expensive and difficult adhesive zone coatingoperations. A related object concerns the provision of one or morecoatings over the tacky adhesive surface to render it nontacky inpreselected areas.

Another object of this invention is to provide an unexpectedlyadvantageous tape product which contains a plurality of different coatedlayers overlying the adhesive-containing side of the tape, and whereinat least one of said coated layers is formed by flexographic printing.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improvedtape product having a tacky peripheral area and a substantially nontackycentral area for holding a document or the like on a shipping containe rwithout the document becoming adhesively affixed to the tape product. Arelated object concerns the provision of means permitting at least aportion of the document to be visible through the tape product.

Another related object is to form the nontacky central document holdingarea with reversely printed indicia covered by an opaque coating ofcontrasting background color, the indicia and coating rendering the areanontacky so that the documents do not stick to or become torn byadhesive in the holding area. Yet a further related object resides inthe provision of a small tacky area in the holding area to temporarilysecure the document to the tape product during affixing to a container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved tape product which can be in roll form for easy dispensingusage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improveddocument securing device which may be used to secure shipping lists orother shipping documents, invoices and the like to shipping containers,and which provides a direct view of indicia provided on such documentsor which has its own indicia or which has both.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedtape product which is highly economical to prepare.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improveddocument holding device having a nontacky portion adjacent a cornerthereof which serves the dual function of providing a lift-off portionto facilitate the removal of a label from a container as well as aneye-mark to facilitate manufacture of the product.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claimstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of a first embodimentof the invention showing the front side of several units of the tapeproduct before it is attached to any container;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the tape product of FIG. 1illustrating the backward printed letters which are printed onto thesticky or tacky side of the tape;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically a printing technique for preparing orfabricating the tape product of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing the front side of asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line l1l1 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a partial plan view of a further embodiment of the presentinvention in which a number of tape product units are fabricated at thesame time; and

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Without being limited to thespecific form of the invention as is shown in the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2and 3 illustrate one embodiment of a tape product in accordance withthis invention. The tape 1 has on the back side thereof a sticky,adhesive-like material 2. On the back or adhesive side of thetransparent tape 1 there are printed the letters designated 3 and theseletters during the printing operation are oriented in a backward orreverse relationship as viewed or shown from the back side of the tapespecifically in FIG. 2. Overlaying the letters 3 is a contrastingbackground coloring material designated 4.

The printing of the letters 3 onto the tape 1 is preferably carried outby a flexographic printing operation. The flexographic printingoperation is carried out by utilizing an ink fountain (see FIG. 4) andproviding a rotating cylinder 12 which picks up the ink 11 from thefountain. The ink for forming the backward printed letters istransferred by a transfer cylinder 13 to a rubber plate on a platecylinder 14 which is in contact with the backup roller 15. Thetransparent tape 1 is brought into contact with the rubber plate whichhas the raised letters thereon such that the letters are printed inbackward position onto the adhesive side of the tape 1. The letterswhich are formed on the adhesive side of the tape cover over theadhesive material 2 which underlies the letters.

Subsequently there is also printed or coated onto the back side of thetape the contrasting background coloring material designated 4. Thiscontrasting color material makes the letters easily readable when viewedfrom the side of the tape as is shown in FIG. 1. The contrastingbackground coloring material 4 is applied in a manner such that there isleft a border area designated 5 surrounding the letters. This borderarea designated 5 enable the tape product to be adhered to the side of ashipping container such as a cardboard carton; and, the shippingdocuments such as invoices, shipping lists, letters, sales slips, or thelike may be readily adhered to the side of the container by placing thetape product of this invention over the shipping documents and thenadhering the tape product to the side of the container by means of theadhesive material 2 which remains only in the border area 5 of the tapeproduct.

It is also to be noted that printing or coating of the background colormateria-l4 on the sticky side of the tape maybe carried out in such amanner as to leave a narrow strip 2a of exposed adhesive material 2.This strip 2a (see FIG. 2) of exposed adhesive material facilitatesusage of the tape product herein, in that it makes it possible for theuser to take a folded document and temporarily adhere it to the stickyside of the tape on the exposed adhesive strip 2a and then both handsare free to subsequentlyadhere the tape product to the side of ashipping container or the like.

Perforations 6 may also be formed at predetermined intervals along thelength of the tape 1 so that segments of the tape can be readilyseparated, one from the other, for usage.

The coating materials used in this invention forforming the printedletters may satisfactorily be either a dye material or a pigmentedmaterial. In like fashion the coating material used to form thecontrasting background color may also be either a dye or pigmentedmaterial.

It is to be noted in accordance with this invention that the printedletters and the contrasting background color material cover over all ofthe adhesive material on the back side of the tape except for optionalstrip 2a and border area 5 which is left to adhere the tape to the sideof a container and thus to fasten or attach the shipping documents tothe side of the container, underneath the colored area designated 4.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a second embodiment of the tapeproduct which is generally the same as that described except thatinsteadof having two layers of printing or coating on the sticky side of thetape there is provided a centrally disposed single layer 20 of Itransparent coating material. Coating 20 may be of any suitabletransparent lacquer (such as an overprint lacquer) or other suitableprintable or coatable material which is transparent in combination withthe tape and I in order to affix the documents to the container. Perforations 6 may be provided if desired. Also, although not shown, opaqueborders and/or indicia or letters may be applied on or beneath layer 20.

A third embodiment, comprising features of both the first and secondembodiments, is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. In this embodiment tape1 has a layer of-adhesive 2 on which is printed or coated reverselyoriented opaque or contrasting letters or indicia 30, applied in thesame manner and with the same material as that de scribed above withrespect to letters 3. Overlaying indicia 30 is a layer 32 of opaqueand/or contrasting back- I ground coloring material, the latter beingspaced inwardly from all sides of the individual units of tape productto provide a peripheral zone 5 of adhesive for affixing the documents tothe container. If desired, layer 32 may be provided with an opening 34defining an area which may be printed or coated with a layer 36 oftransparent material of the same type as indicated at 20 with respect tothe second embodiment. Layer 36 may be applied only in opening 34 (asshown) or may be applied over a part or all of layer 32, whichever isdesired. Any type of lettering or indicia may also be applied ifdesired, that shown being merely exemplary, or

it may be omitted. In the embodiment shown, the transparentcenterprovides an area for the name of the ad-:

dressee to show through from the shipping document,

letter, sales slip, invoice or the like secured to the con-.

tainer by the tape. As in the previous embodiment, within the tackyperiphery 5 the entire central area of the article is renderedsubstantially non-tacky by the.

layers disposed thereon to prevent possible destruction of the shippingdocuments when they are removed from the container and separated fromthe tape. Perforations 6 may be provided if desired. This embodiment canalso be used in those applications where the present practice is to usean envelope bearing first class postage affixed to the outside of acontainer mailed at a lower rate postage.

In FIGS. 10 and 11 there is illustrated a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention which is substantially the same as the firstembodiment, differing only in the provision of a contrasting or opaqueborder 40 which is printed or coated at the same time as letters.

3 usingv the same ink or coating material. This is a further example ofthe variance in design possible without requiring additional fabricatingoperations. Again perforation 6 may be provided if desired.

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13.This embodiment is particularly applicable, but not necessarily limited,to fabrication operations wherein the product is printed, etc. inmultiple widths, and concerns the provision of a zone or area of opaquecoating which serves the dual purpose of acting as an eye-mark duringfabrication to facilitate alignment of of the coating and formingapparatus and after fabrication to facilitate dispensing from anautomatic dispensing machine, as well as acting as a non-tacky lift-offtab to facilitate removal of the device from a container to which it isaffixed. As best seen in FIG. 12, there is illustrated the outline ofanumber of in-process units 50 of the tape product (any embodimentdesired) defined on a multi-width tape by longitudinally extendingphantom lines 52 and transversely extending phantom lines 54. Disposedat alternate intersections of lines 42 and 54 are discrete opaqueportions 56 each of which is disposed in part on the adjacent corner ofeach of the four adjacent units. Portions 56 may be coated or printed onthe tape separately from other printing operations, or at the same timean opaque coating is being applied, such as letters 3 or 30, orbackground 4, or the like. During fabrication they can be used aseyemarks to facilitate the alignment of printing, slitting, perforating,etc. When units 50 are subsequently separated, such as by slitting alonglines 52 and tearing (with perforations) or cutting (withoutperforations) along lines 54, each will have a lift-off tab which isrelatively non-tacky so as to facilitate manual grasp and removal of thedocument securing device from the container.

Although the present invention has been described for use in affixingdocuments or the like to a container, obviously it can be used to affixthem to anything, such as directly to an object being shipped orin-process or in inventory, to a vehicle, or to whatever is desired.Furthermore, even though a transparent tape base has been illustrated inconnection with all the embodiments, it will be appreciated that inthose applications where no lettering or see-through capability isrequired on opaque tape can be used.

Removal of the stickiness or tackiness of the adhesive, as theexpression is used herein, includes rendering the adhesive substantiallynon-tacky by covering it with a non-tacky coating and/or by a coatingwhich through solvent or other action causes the adhesive to lose mostof its adhesive properties. It should also be noted that in each of thesectional views, i.e., FIGS. 3, 6, 8, 9, l 1 and 13, the thicknesses ofthe various materials, and particularly the layers of coating thereon,are greatly exaggerated in order to diagramatically illustrate themanner in which the prodict is fabricated. As a practical matter, inmost applications the layers of coating or ink are no thicker than theink on a normal printed page and therefore would not appear as shown inthese sectional views. In fact, one of the advantages of the presentinvention resides in the fact that separate distinct layers of material,such as layers or sheets of paper, plastic film, foil or the like, arenot required for the purpose of providing indicia and/or removingtackiness.

In all of the embodiments disclosed the printing techniques illustratedin FIG. 4 may be used.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of theinvention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects abovestated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible tomodification, variation and change without departing from the properscope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An article for attaching documents and the like to the outside ofcontainers, and for other uses, comprising: a sheet of material; a firstcoating disposed on substantially the entirety of one side of saidsheet, said first coating consisting of a normally sticky adhesivematerial; a second coating disposed on said side of said sheet in afirst area; and a third coating disposed on said side of said sheet in asecond area, said first and second areas being spaced inwardly from theperipheral edges of said sheet, said second and third coatings eachconsisting of material which substantially removes the stickiness ofsaid first coating, said second coating being of a predeterminedcoloring material, said third coating being of a contrasting coloringmaterial.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second areasare mutually exclusive of one another.

3. An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second areasoverlap one another.

4. An article for attaching documents and the like to the outside ofcontainers, and for other uses, comprising: a sheet of substantiallytransparent material; a first coating disposed on substantially theentirety of one surface of said sheet, said first coating consisting ofa normally sticky adhesive material; and a second coating disposed onthe central portion of the exposed surface of said first coating, saidsecond coating consisting of a material which substantially removes thestickiness of said first coating and which, in combination with saidfirst coating, is substantially transparent.

5. An article as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second coating isfully continuous and uninterrupted throughout its entire area.

6. An article as claimed in claim 5 wherein said second coating iscompletely defined by a single continuous periphery.

7. An article for attaching documents and the like to the outside ofcontainers, and for other uses, comprising: a sheet of substantiallytransparent material; a first coating disposed on substantially theentirety of one surface of said sheet, said first coating consisting ofa substantially transparent normally sticky adhesive material; and asecond coating disposed on the central portion of the exposed surface ofsaid first coating, said second coating consisting of a substantiallytransparent material which substantially removes the stickiness of saidfirst coating.

8. An article as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second coating isfully continuous and uninterrupted throughout its entire area.

9. An article as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second coating iscompletely defined by a single continuous periphery.

10. A method of fabricating document retaining devices, comprising thesteps of: providing a length of tape having a layer of pressuresensitive adhesive on one face thereof; applying a coating to theexposed surface of the adhesive layer in a plurality of longitudinallyand transversely spaced identical first zones, thereby defining aplurality of longitudinally and transversely coating applied to saidrelatively small zones is opaque.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the coating is applied tosaid first and second zones in the same operation.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, whereinthe" coating is applied tosaid first and second zones at substantially the same time.

1. AN ARTICLE FOR ATTACHING DOCUMENTS AND THE LIKE TO THE OUTSIDE OFCONTAINERS, AND FOR OTHER USES, COMPRISING: A SHEET OF MATERIAL, A FIRSTCOATING DISPOSED ON SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRETY OF ONE SIDE OF SAIDSHEET, SAID FIRST COATING CONSISTING OF A NORMALLY STICKY ADHESIVEMATERIAL, A SECOND COATING DISPOSED ON SAID SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN AFIRST, AREA AND A THIRD COATING DISPOSED ON SAID SIDE OF SAID SHEET IN ASECOND AREA, SAID FIRST AND SECOND AREAS BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM THEPERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID SHEET, SAID SECOND AND THIRD COATINGS EACHCONSISTING OF MATERIAL WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVES THE STICKINESS OFSAID FIRST COATING, SAID SECOND COATING BEING OF A PREDETERMINEDCOLORING MATERIAL, SAID THIRD COATING BEING OF A CONTRASTING COLORINGMATERIAL.
 2. An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first andsecond areas are mutually exclusive of one another.
 3. An article asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second areas overlap oneanother.
 4. An article for attaching documents and the like to theoutside of containers, and for other uses, comprising: a sheet ofsubstantially transparent material; a first coating disposed onsubstantially the entirety of one surface of said sheet, said firstcoating consisting of a normally sticky adhesive material; and a secondcoating disposed on the central portion of the exposed surface of saidfirst coating, said second coating consisting of a material whichsubstantially removes the stickiness of said first coating and which, incombination with said first coating, is substantially transparent.
 5. Anarticle as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second coating is fullycontinuous and uninterrupted throughout its entire area.
 6. An articleas claimed in claim 5 wherein said second coating is completely definedby a single continuous periphery.
 7. An article for attaching documentsand the like to the outside of containers, and for other uses,comprising: a sheet of substantially transparent material; a firstcoating disposed on substantially the entirety of one surface of saidsheet, said first coating consisting of a substantially transparentnormally sticky adhesive material; and a second coating disposed on thecentral portion of the exposed surface of said first coating, saidsecond coating consisting of a substantially transparent material whichsubstantially removes the stickiness of said first coating.
 8. Anarticle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second coating is fullycontinuous and uninterrupted throughout its entire area.
 9. An articleas claimed in claim 8 wherein said second coating is completely definedby a single continuous periphery.
 10. A method of fabricating documentretaining devices, comprising the steps of: providing a length of tapehaving a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on one face thereof;applying a coating to the exposed surface of the adhesive layer in aplurality of longitudinally and transversely spaced identical firstzones, thereby defining a plurality of longitudinally and transverselyarranged document retaining devices joined together; and applying arelatively small second zone of coating at alternate transverse andlongitudinal junctures of the devices, each said second zone of coatinghaving a portion falling within the adjacent corner of each of the fouradjacent devices and being of a material which renders the area ofadhesive covered thereby substantially nontacky.
 11. A method as claimedin claim 10, wherein the coating applied to said relatively small zonesis opaque.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the coating isapplied to said first and second zones in the same operation.
 13. Amethod as claimed in claim 10, wherein the coating is applied to saidfirst and second zones at substantially the same time.